Young Imaginations Ignite at Exploding Words Festival

A love of reading and storytelling was ignited this week as Penwith College hosted Exploding Words, Bringing Stories to Life, an inspiring day of workshops for local primary school pupils, supported by the St Aubyn Foundation.

Children from schools across west Cornwall gathered at the college to take part in hands‑on sessions with some of the country’s most exciting writers and illustrators.

Leading the day was Joseph Coelho, the Children’s Laureate and an award‑winning poet and playwright known for making poetry accessible and exciting for young audiences. Anna Wilson, an acclaimed author of more than fifty children’s books including picture books, chapter books and young fiction, brought her expertise in character and humour. Meanwhile, Lou Abercrombie, a writer and photographer whose novels combine adventure with strong visual storytelling, guided pupils through creative exercises linking words and images.

Throughout the day, classrooms and corridors buzzed with creativity as pupils explored how stories are built, discovered the joy of playing with words and learned how to turn their own ideas into poetry, tales and illustrations.

The event is part of the wider Exploding Words initiative, a new charity created by the team behind the North Cornwall Book Festival to bring day‑long literary festivals to schools across Cornwall and Devon. The charity is chaired by Pippa Hyam, a leading facilitator and mediator who has helped shape many successful arts events and it benefits from the creative vision of Patrick Gale, bestselling novelist and former Artistic Director of the North Cornwall Book Festival, who continues to champion literary opportunities for young people. Together, they are building a programme of workshops designed to spark imagination, improve literacy and show children the power of words.

Lord St Levan, on behalf of the St Aubyn Foundation, said:

“Exploding Words demonstrates the value of inspiring young minds and nurturing creativity. We are delighted to support an event that helps children discover the joy and power of books.”

As the children left clutching notebooks full of new stories and sketches, the excitement was clear. Exploding Words proved to be far more than a day of workshops, it planted seeds of imagination that will continue to grow long after the event ends.